Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Baen (2016), Edition: First Edition, 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan returns to the planet that changed her destiny in a new novel by multiple New York Times bestselling author Lois McMaster Bujold.Future imperfectThree years after her famous husband's death, Cordelia Vorkosigan, widowed Vicereine of Sergyar, stands ready to spin her life in a new direction. Oliver Jole, admiral, Sergyar Fleet, finds himself caught up in her web of plans in ways he'd never imagined, bringing him to an unexpected crossroads in his life.Meanwhile, Miles Vorkosigan, one of Emperor Gregor's key investigators, this time dispatches himself on a mission of inquiry, into a mystery he never anticipated�??his own mother.Plans, wills, and expectations collide in this sparkling science fiction social comedy, as the impact of galactic technology on the range of the possible changes all the old rules, and Miles learns that not only is the future not what he expects, neither is the pa… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jsburbidge
This book has something of the relationship to pastoral that space opera has to epic. There's a lot of general focus on "nature" (an alien nature, but nature) to the degree that one of the central characters becomes so focussed on it that formal studies in biology result. The main focus of the
I don't actually think that this is deliberate on Bujold's part; I think it more a matter of convergence than of design, but the parallels still say something about the novel.
Like every single one of Bujold's novels, this includes a romantic subplot, and like many of them, it is built around it. In this case, it is not entwined with any major plots of other sorts. (Actually, there is one tiny subplot which traces its way through the book until a not-quite dea ex machina provides a resolution in the third last chapter which can be said to run in parallel with rather than feeding into the main plot, and another tiny subplot which ends up being tied into the resolution of the second subplot. But both of these are, from the point of view of the book and of the principal characters, peripheral.)
Unlike some of her more recent Barrayarverse novels, this is clearly one that Bujold herself wanted to write -- the themes pick up other strands from her earlier work, especially the perspectives on maturity which underpin Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls and (to some degree) Memory, the concerns with family which drive Mirror Dance, and the interest in romance as a structural model which inspired the Sharing Knife books. It also reads as a valediction to the whole universe, tying up a couple of loose ends and leaving us with a perspective on both Cordelia and Miles along an axis of domesticity.
Readers who want action will probably be disappointed -- the biggest crisis, physically, is an accident over in a few minutes which generates a number of injuries but no deaths. There are no antagonists. But it is well-crafted and readable: to its audience (which is very much not first time-readers: it depends on the readers having knowledge of Cordelia's and Miles' pasts for effect), it delivers a worthwhile, possibly valedictory, meditation on aspects of the series as a whole.
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novel is on conversations, much as the pastoral form tended heavily towards dialogues (well, singing-contests). And like Daphnis and Chloe it has a couple of recognition scenes where children discover (things about) their parents.I don't actually think that this is deliberate on Bujold's part; I think it more a matter of convergence than of design, but the parallels still say something about the novel.
Like every single one of Bujold's novels, this includes a romantic subplot, and like many of them, it is built around it. In this case, it is not entwined with any major plots of other sorts. (Actually, there is one tiny subplot which traces its way through the book until a not-quite dea ex machina provides a resolution in the third last chapter which can be said to run in parallel with rather than feeding into the main plot, and another tiny subplot which ends up being tied into the resolution of the second subplot. But both of these are, from the point of view of the book and of the principal characters, peripheral.)
Unlike some of her more recent Barrayarverse novels, this is clearly one that Bujold herself wanted to write -- the themes pick up other strands from her earlier work, especially the perspectives on maturity which underpin Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls and (to some degree) Memory, the concerns with family which drive Mirror Dance, and the interest in romance as a structural model which inspired the Sharing Knife books. It also reads as a valediction to the whole universe, tying up a couple of loose ends and leaving us with a perspective on both Cordelia and Miles along an axis of domesticity.
Readers who want action will probably be disappointed -- the biggest crisis, physically, is an accident over in a few minutes which generates a number of injuries but no deaths. There are no antagonists. But it is well-crafted and readable: to its audience (which is very much not first time-readers: it depends on the readers having knowledge of Cordelia's and Miles' pasts for effect), it delivers a worthwhile, possibly valedictory, meditation on aspects of the series as a whole.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Aral Vorkosigan played such an important role in the Barrayaran Imperium that even several years after his death, the repercussions are still being felt. On a more personal level, his widow, Cordelia Vorkosigan, vicereine of Sergyar, is slowly accommodating herself to life without him.
Review: This book was so good. Capslock good. I loved just about every second of it, although it was pretty much written specifically to cater to what originally got me hooked on the Vorkosigan Saga in the first place (namely, Cordelia, who is awesome and I still want to be her when I grow up or at least have her be my best friend so we can sit on the porch and drink a beer and be snarky and awesome together.) I can, however, see how this book might not be to everyone's taste, particularly those people who like the Miles-centric Vorkosigan books more. I did spend the first part of the book a little wrong-footed, trying to pay attention to every detail in case it became important in a Miles-style mystery or political plot later on, before realizing that this book was more of a character study, and the plot, such as it was, was mostly internal to the characters. And again, I was fine with that (a whole book of Cordelia being Cordelia and therefore awesome? Yes please!) but I can see how the lack of an externally motivated plot could be disappointing to other readers.
The Vorkosigan Saga as a whole spends a lot of time exploring the ramifications of technology - specifically reproductive and genetic technology - on various aspects of life. A lot of the previous books have looked at the political and social effects of technology such as uterine replicators, cloning, genetic engineering, etc. But this book, while those same issues are still at the forefront, looks a lot more at how technology affects people on a much more personal level - not regarding death, exactly, but grief, and recovery, and moving on, and love, and interpersonal relationships. I said this book was a character study, but it's not just a study of Cordelia, or even Cordelia and Oliver... it's a character study of Aral, too. Even though he's dead, he's not gone, and we learn more about him by looking at the size and the shape of the hole that his death has left, not just in the Barrayaran Imperium, but in the lives of those who knew him and loved him best.
Perhaps the biggest revelation was about Aral's bisexuality and how that played out in his and Cordelia's marriage. (Revelation is the wrong word; it's a reminder, really, since we've known Aral was bisexual since Shards of Honor, but I tended to forget about it during the Miles-focused books. This is maybe part of the point of the book - that our parents have inner lives that we, as children, even as adult children, are not privy to, and can't really understand.) Specifically, we find out that in the past 10 books or so, Aral and Cordelia have been in what is functionally a three-way marriage with Oliver that was largely an open secret. This blew my mind, yet was somehow also still consistent with what I had known about their characters, although it did make me go back and see whether there was any hint of it in Miles's novels. I'm never entirely sure how much an author has planned from the beginning of the series (particularly in a multi-decade series such as this), and how much is ret-conning. However, judging from what I've read in interviews, and by the publication order of the early Vorkosigan series, I suspect that Bujold does a fair bit of ret-conning, and she's remarkably good at it - it's always seamless; whether or not she'd intended this triad marriage all along, I found it totally plausible that it was occurring "behind the scenes". More specifically, Jole does show up as Aral's aide in The Vor Game... and then not again until he's acting as one of Aral's pallbearers in Cryoburn, representing the planet Sergyar. At the time, I was too busy being emotionally wrecked by Gregor's actions during Aral's funeral to give any thought to the name of some random other dude, but rereading "Aftermaths" with the knowledge of who Jole was, and who Aral was to him, was just heartbreaking. Again, I don't know if Bujold already had this book in mind, or if she just latched onto the name and wove this backstory into the gap, but either way, it was devastatingly effective.
I realize that all this rambling isn't exactly reviewing the book. So, short version: it's great. It's got Bujold's great sense of humor and compelling characters and a sensible worldview and a wonderful love story and a very cool idea for see-through canoes (which actually exist and now I really want one) and some interesting technically-sci-fi-but-not-that-implausible issues to think about (on that note, while the cover art initially left me cold, after reading the book I absolutely love it). The audiobook is narrated by Grover Gardner, who, when I first listened to Shards of Honor, I thought it was weird to have a man narrate a book from a woman's POV, but at this point, I couldn't imagine anyone else doing nearly such a good job with Bujold's words. In short, I loved the whole thing, and I'm so glad for every chance I get to live in the Vorkosigans' universe for a few hours. 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Not at all a stand-alone. Basically, if you loved Shards of Honor and you love Cordelia and Aral and got excited every time they popped up in one of Miles's books, even for just a scene, then this book is for you. If you love Miles and are looking for space battles or a mystery then... maybe not so much. But if you're anything like me, even a Vorkosigan book that's not your personal favorite flavor of Vorkosigan book is still usually pretty darn good.
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She's managing governance of the planet just fine on her own - apart from some squabbles over her plans to relocate the planet's capital - and is contemplating a change to her personal life. She has some genetic samples - frozen gametes from herself and Aral from shortly after Miles was born - and with genetic and uterine replicator technology being what they are, she's considering giving Miles and Mark some much-younger sisters. Also in the picture is Oliver Jole, Aral's former aide - and lover - now the Admiral of the Sergyaran Fleet. When Cordelia makes him an astonishing offer regarding those genetic samples, he must make some very tough decisions regarding what he wants his future to look like... and he and Cordelia must puzzle out how the pieces of their relationship fit together around the gap that Aral - the man they both loved - has left behind.Review: This book was so good. Capslock good. I loved just about every second of it, although it was pretty much written specifically to cater to what originally got me hooked on the Vorkosigan Saga in the first place (namely, Cordelia, who is awesome and I still want to be her when I grow up or at least have her be my best friend so we can sit on the porch and drink a beer and be snarky and awesome together.) I can, however, see how this book might not be to everyone's taste, particularly those people who like the Miles-centric Vorkosigan books more. I did spend the first part of the book a little wrong-footed, trying to pay attention to every detail in case it became important in a Miles-style mystery or political plot later on, before realizing that this book was more of a character study, and the plot, such as it was, was mostly internal to the characters. And again, I was fine with that (a whole book of Cordelia being Cordelia and therefore awesome? Yes please!) but I can see how the lack of an externally motivated plot could be disappointing to other readers.
The Vorkosigan Saga as a whole spends a lot of time exploring the ramifications of technology - specifically reproductive and genetic technology - on various aspects of life. A lot of the previous books have looked at the political and social effects of technology such as uterine replicators, cloning, genetic engineering, etc. But this book, while those same issues are still at the forefront, looks a lot more at how technology affects people on a much more personal level - not regarding death, exactly, but grief, and recovery, and moving on, and love, and interpersonal relationships. I said this book was a character study, but it's not just a study of Cordelia, or even Cordelia and Oliver... it's a character study of Aral, too. Even though he's dead, he's not gone, and we learn more about him by looking at the size and the shape of the hole that his death has left, not just in the Barrayaran Imperium, but in the lives of those who knew him and loved him best.
Perhaps the biggest revelation was about Aral's bisexuality and how that played out in his and Cordelia's marriage. (Revelation is the wrong word; it's a reminder, really, since we've known Aral was bisexual since Shards of Honor, but I tended to forget about it during the Miles-focused books. This is maybe part of the point of the book - that our parents have inner lives that we, as children, even as adult children, are not privy to, and can't really understand.) Specifically, we find out that in the past 10 books or so, Aral and Cordelia have been in what is functionally a three-way marriage with Oliver that was largely an open secret. This blew my mind, yet was somehow also still consistent with what I had known about their characters, although it did make me go back and see whether there was any hint of it in Miles's novels. I'm never entirely sure how much an author has planned from the beginning of the series (particularly in a multi-decade series such as this), and how much is ret-conning. However, judging from what I've read in interviews, and by the publication order of the early Vorkosigan series, I suspect that Bujold does a fair bit of ret-conning, and she's remarkably good at it - it's always seamless; whether or not she'd intended this triad marriage all along, I found it totally plausible that it was occurring "behind the scenes". More specifically, Jole does show up as Aral's aide in The Vor Game... and then not again until he's acting as one of Aral's pallbearers in Cryoburn, representing the planet Sergyar. At the time, I was too busy being emotionally wrecked by Gregor's actions during Aral's funeral to give any thought to the name of some random other dude, but rereading "Aftermaths" with the knowledge of who Jole was, and who Aral was to him, was just heartbreaking. Again, I don't know if Bujold already had this book in mind, or if she just latched onto the name and wove this backstory into the gap, but either way, it was devastatingly effective.
I realize that all this rambling isn't exactly reviewing the book. So, short version: it's great. It's got Bujold's great sense of humor and compelling characters and a sensible worldview and a wonderful love story and a very cool idea for see-through canoes (which actually exist and now I really want one) and some interesting technically-sci-fi-but-not-that-implausible issues to think about (on that note, while the cover art initially left me cold, after reading the book I absolutely love it). The audiobook is narrated by Grover Gardner, who, when I first listened to Shards of Honor, I thought it was weird to have a man narrate a book from a woman's POV, but at this point, I couldn't imagine anyone else doing nearly such a good job with Bujold's words. In short, I loved the whole thing, and I'm so glad for every chance I get to live in the Vorkosigans' universe for a few hours. 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Not at all a stand-alone. Basically, if you loved Shards of Honor and you love Cordelia and Aral and got excited every time they popped up in one of Miles's books, even for just a scene, then this book is for you. If you love Miles and are looking for space battles or a mystery then... maybe not so much. But if you're anything like me, even a Vorkosigan book that's not your personal favorite flavor of Vorkosigan book is still usually pretty darn good.
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LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
I've greatly enjoyed all of the other Vorkosigan books, even Captain Vorptril's Aliance. But not Gentleman Jole... I had to force myself through the first 120 pages or so, and then I just finished for the sake of finishing. Clearly Miles has become uninteresting to his creator, and that's fine
Maybe Lois McMaster Bujold is just trying to give all of the characters a good send off before she retires the series completely. In this case I think it was a rather strained effort. If you come to this book looking for the dramatic tension, political and social intrigue, and space-opera adventure of the rest of the series you'll be sorely disappointed.
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after so much time. But spending the first 1/3 of the book retconing the history of two supporting characters (Aral & Cordelia) to give a much much larger role to a bit player (Jole) in order to write a life-goes-on-after-retirement romance and ode to the power of love and family is just not what I'm looking for in this series. Maybe Lois McMaster Bujold is just trying to give all of the characters a good send off before she retires the series completely. In this case I think it was a rather strained effort. If you come to this book looking for the dramatic tension, political and social intrigue, and space-opera adventure of the rest of the series you'll be sorely disappointed.
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LibraryThing member clong
Bujold is one of my favorite authors but this was truly a slog. The magical mashup of humor, drama, imagination, and insights into the best and worst of humanity that I expect from a Vorkosigan tale have been kidnapped and replaced by the reading equivalent of watching paint dry.
LibraryThing member prettymucharock
It's difficult for me to review this book because there are a lot of things I wanted it to do that it didn't do. I wanted to see Vorinnis's relationship developing, I wanted to see something a little more threatening than soccer hooligans and dangerous insects, I wanted to see Cordelia learning to
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parent a child who wasn't fragile, I wanted to see Jole adjusting to a private life. I enjoyed what was there! I love Cordelia, and all the character scenes were wonderfully written! I just couldn't help feel like this book was more of a reward to Cordelia, who more than deserves the opportunity to quietly pursue her happiness, than a complete novel of the level I expect from Bujold. Show Less
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
I've read and enjoyed most of Bulold's books in the Miles Vorkosigan series, but...
I started reading this one with high hopes. About halfway in, I still couldn't figure out what the story was about and (I'm almost ashamed to say) started skimming. That's always a bad sign because it means I've lost
I started reading this one with high hopes. About halfway in, I still couldn't figure out what the story was about and (I'm almost ashamed to say) started skimming. That's always a bad sign because it means I've lost
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lost interest. In this case, interest was never there to lose. Mostly, the book is a narrative of family relationships, mundane domestic matters, angst and introspection about aging and parenting, reminiscences, and accounts of tending to the routine administrative issues of the title characters' jobs. It's all pretty dull, even if you're mildly invested in the characters from the previous novels. As character building background, it's good stuff, but there is no plot to tie it all together. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Lovely, and very Cordelia. It makes me want to reread the first two books again. There is a major retcon that forms the basis of this - I don't remember Jole being even mentioned in any of the other books, even as Aral's aide, let alone the closer relationship (OK, I'm told he shows up in The Vor
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Game...so I want to reread that too). That would probably bother me more if I'd read the series more often or in order - unlike my usual rule, I've read the Vorkosigan saga more backward than forward, so I'm used to dealing with characters who (from my point of view) come out of nowhere. I like Jole; he's an interesting person, especially as he's dealing with Cordelia's shocker of a gift. It's interesting seeing Miles from the outside, as an adult and while he's dealing with his children - not a viewpoint we've really had before. And the family dynamics are going to be _fascinating_, with all the various half-sibs and etc. Most of the story is from Jole's viewpoint, with occasional bits of Cordelia (the scene in the shack, where she's doing the very Betan analysis and totally missing what Jole's saying, is highly amusing). Events range from mildly interesting (the decommissioned ship) to highly amusing (the lake, the first part of the party, a good deal of Jole's interactions with his staff), to minor bits of action (the end of the party, for one!). No deep plots or active enemies (thank goodness, Cordelia's had enough of those. And so has Jole, according to the stories in here). But there are some major personal changes, for several people - mostly Jole, but not only him. I'd be pleased to see another book continuing on from here - the family matters, and the continued development of Sergyar, would both be interesting to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmartin802
The seventeenth Vorkosigan Saga focuses on Cordelia and Sergyar. Three years have passed since Aral's death and the first immense grief is finally abating. Cordelia comes back to Sergyar from Barrayar carrying genetic material that she and Aral had stored many years before. It is her goal to stop
Admiral Oliver Jole is also going to have his life rewritten. For more than twenty years, he, Aral and Cordelia have been in a discrete - very discrete - relationship. When Cordelia offers him the chance at children using Aral's genetic materials, he needs to re-evaluate his life and plans too. Starting to date Cordelia also impacts his choices.
When Cordelia informs Gregor, Miles, Mark, Simon and Alys about her plans, Miles dispatches himself along with his wife and six children to Sergyar to find out what is going on. Meanwhile, both Jole and Cordelia are very busy in their roles as Admiral of the Sergyar Fleet and Vicereine as they are trying to co-ordinate the growth and development of the planet and the relocation of the planetary capital. There are constant demands on their time and attention that makes it difficult for them to have any sort of relationship, even a discrete one.
There aren't big political problems in this story; the Cetagandans seem focused elsewhere. The problems are internal to Jole and Cordelia. The book talks a lot about the life-changing and awesome responsibility of becoming a parent. Cordelia had always wanted more children but, because of Miles's physical limitations and Barrayaran politics, she and Aral never felt the time was right to have them. Now, she has the opportunity to finally make that goal a reality. Jole had never really given children a thought. He being too Barrayaran to have seen the possibilities inherent in the uterine replicator technology and being unaware of the existence of the stored genetic material. The thought of children is more life-altering for him than for Cordelia.
I loved all the references to other events that took place in earlier books in this series. I loved the change to see Miles and his family again. I have always admired Cordelia's character and was so happy to have another book that starred her. I liked the way the author managed to insert something new - a long-standing relationship with Oliver Jole - into the saga.
Fans of the series won't want to miss this story which is filled with Bujold's masterful prose, subtle humor, and vivid characterizations.
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being Vicereine and become a parent again - a parent of daughters. She believes that it is time to rewrite her life.Admiral Oliver Jole is also going to have his life rewritten. For more than twenty years, he, Aral and Cordelia have been in a discrete - very discrete - relationship. When Cordelia offers him the chance at children using Aral's genetic materials, he needs to re-evaluate his life and plans too. Starting to date Cordelia also impacts his choices.
When Cordelia informs Gregor, Miles, Mark, Simon and Alys about her plans, Miles dispatches himself along with his wife and six children to Sergyar to find out what is going on. Meanwhile, both Jole and Cordelia are very busy in their roles as Admiral of the Sergyar Fleet and Vicereine as they are trying to co-ordinate the growth and development of the planet and the relocation of the planetary capital. There are constant demands on their time and attention that makes it difficult for them to have any sort of relationship, even a discrete one.
There aren't big political problems in this story; the Cetagandans seem focused elsewhere. The problems are internal to Jole and Cordelia. The book talks a lot about the life-changing and awesome responsibility of becoming a parent. Cordelia had always wanted more children but, because of Miles's physical limitations and Barrayaran politics, she and Aral never felt the time was right to have them. Now, she has the opportunity to finally make that goal a reality. Jole had never really given children a thought. He being too Barrayaran to have seen the possibilities inherent in the uterine replicator technology and being unaware of the existence of the stored genetic material. The thought of children is more life-altering for him than for Cordelia.
I loved all the references to other events that took place in earlier books in this series. I loved the change to see Miles and his family again. I have always admired Cordelia's character and was so happy to have another book that starred her. I liked the way the author managed to insert something new - a long-standing relationship with Oliver Jole - into the saga.
Fans of the series won't want to miss this story which is filled with Bujold's masterful prose, subtle humor, and vivid characterizations.
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LibraryThing member zeborah
I've long wanted another book from Cordelia's point of view. This wasn't really what I wanted though. It's a very nice, serene, piece of writing which fleshes out her life following the events of her previous books, and gives her a nice happy ending of a future. It just... doesn't have much
At one point I thought there'd be a political subplot with the people desperate to maintain the planet's capital in the path of an active volcano for purposes of profit (it never seems to occur to them that if you want to make a reliable profit you shouldn't put all your eggs in one lava-prone basket), or a romantic subplot between her protegee and the Cetagandan ghem-youth (which would solve the potential problem of Cetaganda unleashing bioweapons against the Barrayaran empire: mix your blood enough so that Cetagandans would end up caught in the crossfire). But neither of these got above the "local colour" threshold. The closest to a subplot was the plascrete trouble, and that was helpfully solved by Kareen ex machina.
So all very nice, just with all the call-backs to previous adventures, and so little happening, it had much the feel of a TV show's bottle episode, and felt equally unsatisfying and unmemorable as a result.
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happening and Cordelia herself, while very busy with her job, love life, and progeny, doesn't do much protagonisting. At the start of the book she's already made up her mind what she wants and how she's going to get it, and the book essentially recounts her waiting while everyone else comes around to the idea.At one point I thought there'd be a political subplot with the people desperate to maintain the planet's capital in the path of an active volcano for purposes of profit (it never seems to occur to them that if you want to make a reliable profit you shouldn't put all your eggs in one lava-prone basket), or a romantic subplot between her protegee and the Cetagandan ghem-youth (which would solve the potential problem of Cetaganda unleashing bioweapons against the Barrayaran empire: mix your blood enough so that Cetagandans would end up caught in the crossfire). But neither of these got above the "local colour" threshold. The closest to a subplot was the plascrete trouble, and that was helpfully solved by Kareen ex machina.
So all very nice, just with all the call-backs to previous adventures, and so little happening, it had much the feel of a TV show's bottle episode, and felt equally unsatisfying and unmemorable as a result.
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LibraryThing member atreic
Everyone loves books about Cordelia and Aral, right? And despite Aral being dead, this is a book all about Cordelia and Aral. Most particularly, their relationship with Oliver Jole.
I spent a fair chunk of the book wondering if I'd just forgotten a giant chunk of Cordelia and Aral's history. But I
It is very Babies Are The Happy Ending. It's interesting thinking about it with the genders reversed, if Cordelia was male, and had seduced a woman 20 years her junior, and persuaded her to pass up a major promotion to stay home and have babies and be happy. But Bujold addresses these complicated stories with interest and nuance.
It is also very 'love stories about old people'. If you don't want to think about people older than 50 falling in love and enjoying it in a variety of ways, this is not the book for you. But the older I get, the more pleased I am there are stories about old people who are still people!
I guess I have seen too many interesting and non-canonical relationships to feel as intrigued and titillated by the three-way relationship as I might as a younger reader. But it is an interesting take on it. Thinking about poor Oliver navigating Aral's death with no acknowledgement of what he meant to him. Watching Oliver and Cordelia renegotiate their own relationship, with the missing lynchpin of Aral. Watching Miles react to the revelations about his parents' lives.
It is very nostalgic of the rest of the series, with lots of nods to events in previous books. I might have preferred _slightly_ fewer nods to previous events and more events in this one!
It is all very Cozy. I was expecting some Cetegandan Plot, or some Great Scheme to be thwarted, but actually, the Mild Peril is mild, and comes from frustrated drunk young men and local wildlife. It is not the high space opera of early books, it is family and hog roasts and fireworks. That is nice.
And there are some really lovely bits. The crystal hulled boats, and the wildlife of an entire unexplored world dancing under the surface of a shimmering lake.
And the time with Cordelia and her grandson, Alex, exploring how he feels about the Academy and being the Next Count Vorkosigan, is beautiful. And I laughed out loud at 'And here's Admiral Jole too. I suppose you'd have to practice drawing both men and women.' Bujold's family scenes are full of warmth and exquisitely drawn.
Oh loves, take delight in one another
While you can, take delight
I spent a fair chunk of the book wondering if I'd just forgotten a giant chunk of Cordelia and Aral's history. But I
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don't think I had - while Jole has been on the fringes of other stories, I don't think I just forgot his relationship with Aral and Cordelia, I think telling that story is the point of this book. It doesn't feel ret-conned, but it does feel a bit fan-fic-cy, and a part of me shares Miles's 'why are you just telling me this _now_?'It is very Babies Are The Happy Ending. It's interesting thinking about it with the genders reversed, if Cordelia was male, and had seduced a woman 20 years her junior, and persuaded her to pass up a major promotion to stay home and have babies and be happy. But Bujold addresses these complicated stories with interest and nuance.
It is also very 'love stories about old people'. If you don't want to think about people older than 50 falling in love and enjoying it in a variety of ways, this is not the book for you. But the older I get, the more pleased I am there are stories about old people who are still people!
I guess I have seen too many interesting and non-canonical relationships to feel as intrigued and titillated by the three-way relationship as I might as a younger reader. But it is an interesting take on it. Thinking about poor Oliver navigating Aral's death with no acknowledgement of what he meant to him. Watching Oliver and Cordelia renegotiate their own relationship, with the missing lynchpin of Aral. Watching Miles react to the revelations about his parents' lives.
It is very nostalgic of the rest of the series, with lots of nods to events in previous books. I might have preferred _slightly_ fewer nods to previous events and more events in this one!
It is all very Cozy. I was expecting some Cetegandan Plot, or some Great Scheme to be thwarted, but actually, the Mild Peril is mild, and comes from frustrated drunk young men and local wildlife. It is not the high space opera of early books, it is family and hog roasts and fireworks. That is nice.
And there are some really lovely bits. The crystal hulled boats, and the wildlife of an entire unexplored world dancing under the surface of a shimmering lake.
And the time with Cordelia and her grandson, Alex, exploring how he feels about the Academy and being the Next Count Vorkosigan, is beautiful. And I laughed out loud at 'And here's Admiral Jole too. I suppose you'd have to practice drawing both men and women.' Bujold's family scenes are full of warmth and exquisitely drawn.
Oh loves, take delight in one another
While you can, take delight
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
It was nice to see many of my favorite characters from the Vorkosigan series again. While I found the idea of using the uterine replicators to allow older people to have children an intriguing thought, I missed the adventure space opera aspect which all of the other books of the series had. This
I also had some internal struggle withthe ages of the lovers -- both Aral & Oliver and then Cordelia & Oliver. Aral would have been in his 60s when Oliver was in his 20s at the time that their affair began. And in this book, when Oliver is turning 50, Cordelia is in her mid-70s.
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latest book in the series is much quieter, perhaps fittingly so as all the family has aged.I also had some internal struggle with
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
It's three years after the death of Aral Vorkosigan, and Cordelia, having spent those years grieving and serving solo as the Vicereine of Sergyar is starting to work out plans for the next stage in her life. Those plans include eggs and sperm she and Aral had frozen many years ago, when they did
But Cordelia always wanted a large family, the many children she could never have had on Beta Colony. Now, Miles is in his forties, the unquestioned Count Vorkosigan, and if she has only daughters, by Barrayaran law they will be only hers. And Aral's will made it unambiguously clear and certain that disposal of both sets of gametes, his sperm and her eggs, was entirely hers.
While she's juggling her duties in her last year as Vicereine and her preparations for being a mother again, something else is going on. Admiral Oliver Jole, the commanding officer on the military side at Sergyar, is interested. And she, Jole, and Aral have a history that few people know about.
In past novels, we've often not seen enough of Cordelia. This story is all hers, and everyone else, including Miles, just has to try to keep up.
Miles himself is now in his forties, a father of six, and increasingly having to deal with the combined effects of the in utero damage and his extremely active ImpSec career.
Cordelia, Jole, Miles, and others (including an aide of Jole's and a cultural attache from the Cetagandan consulate) all grow and develop in interesting and enjoyable ways, while facing challenges that I will leave readers to discover for themselves. This book doesn't have the breakneck speed and juggling of multiple life--or-death crises of one of Miles' adventures, but it's exciting, engaging, and absorbing in its own, quieter way.
Recommended.
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not yet know that Miles would be damaged in utero in ways that would make the existence of any other sons a threat to him.But Cordelia always wanted a large family, the many children she could never have had on Beta Colony. Now, Miles is in his forties, the unquestioned Count Vorkosigan, and if she has only daughters, by Barrayaran law they will be only hers. And Aral's will made it unambiguously clear and certain that disposal of both sets of gametes, his sperm and her eggs, was entirely hers.
While she's juggling her duties in her last year as Vicereine and her preparations for being a mother again, something else is going on. Admiral Oliver Jole, the commanding officer on the military side at Sergyar, is interested. And she, Jole, and Aral have a history that few people know about.
In past novels, we've often not seen enough of Cordelia. This story is all hers, and everyone else, including Miles, just has to try to keep up.
Miles himself is now in his forties, a father of six, and increasingly having to deal with the combined effects of the in utero damage and his extremely active ImpSec career.
Cordelia, Jole, Miles, and others (including an aide of Jole's and a cultural attache from the Cetagandan consulate) all grow and develop in interesting and enjoyable ways, while facing challenges that I will leave readers to discover for themselves. This book doesn't have the breakneck speed and juggling of multiple life--or-death crises of one of Miles' adventures, but it's exciting, engaging, and absorbing in its own, quieter way.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
This book is part of the Vorkosigan Saga. The main characters are Aral Vorkosigan’s wife, Cordelia, and his former relationship partner, Admiral Oliver Jole. Cordelia offers Oliver a chance to become a father through the use of the oft-mentioned external uterine incubator and leftover DNA from
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her own efforts to continue her family. This book is full of melodrama and descriptions of past and present relationships. It is basically a (bisexual) romance. I prefer more traditional science fiction. In fairness, I have not read all the prior books in this series. I know there are many fans of this series, but it is not my cup of tea. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
August 2019 reread: I still find this final book in the Vorkosigan series a let down. While the concept of using the uterine replicator mentioned below is still interesting, the relationships were troubling. I feel that Bujold has suddenly changed the way we are supposed to view both Aral and
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3.5*
It was nice to see many of my favorite characters from the Vorkosigan series again. While I found the idea of using the uterine replicators to allow older people to have children an intriguing thought, I missed the adventure space opera aspect which all of the other books of the series had. This latest book in the series is much quieter, perhaps fittingly so as all the family has aged.
I also had some internal struggle withthe ages of the lovers -- both Aral & Oliver and then Cordelia & Oliver. Aral would have been in his 60s when Oliver was in his 20s at the time that their affair began. And in this book, when Oliver is turning 50, Cordelia is in her mid-70s.
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Cordelia (well, Jole as well but he was such a minor character before this that in his case it doesn't matter). Yes, Aral's bisexuality was mentioned before several times and yes, Aral & Cordelia were hardly present in most of the series after the first few books but to have it suddenly revealed 3 years after Aral's death that he had been in 20 year relationship with Jole and that for a large part of this time, it was a threesome with Cordelia came as a shock to me as much as it did to Miles. Plus the age differences I mentioned in my original review... Even knowing this time around what was coming, I found it unhappily disconcerting.--------------------------
3.5*
It was nice to see many of my favorite characters from the Vorkosigan series again. While I found the idea of using the uterine replicators to allow older people to have children an intriguing thought, I missed the adventure space opera aspect which all of the other books of the series had. This latest book in the series is much quieter, perhaps fittingly so as all the family has aged.
I also had some internal struggle with
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LibraryThing member bragan
This latest installment in Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series is set three years after the events of Cryoburn (the previous volume in the series chronologically, if not by publication order), and focuses on Miles' mother, Cordelia, as she looks back on the past, plans for the future, and reveals a
And it's... Well, it's pleasant enough. There are some mild but welcome touches of humor. The characters are likable -- I've always enjoyed Cordelia, and while she's not at her most most formidable here, she does have her moments. It's great, and very refreshing, to see a love story written for an older women, and (in principle, at least) I like the fact that it's a no-drama love story in which the participants behave consistently like mature adults.
But I couldn't help wishing that there was just a little bit, well, more. Because, honestly, the story is made up of some decent character development packed with a lot of filler. It's not bad filler, but, still, I found myself wishing more than once that something would happen. Not necessarily a space battle (although Bujold is great at those), but something just a little more substantial than what we got. I don't mind a nice, gentle story, but this one was perhaps a little too relentlessly gentle to be fully satisfying.
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secret or two about her personal life.And it's... Well, it's pleasant enough. There are some mild but welcome touches of humor. The characters are likable -- I've always enjoyed Cordelia, and while she's not at her most most formidable here, she does have her moments. It's great, and very refreshing, to see a love story written for an older women, and (in principle, at least) I like the fact that it's a no-drama love story in which the participants behave consistently like mature adults.
But I couldn't help wishing that there was just a little bit, well, more. Because, honestly, the story is made up of some decent character development packed with a lot of filler. It's not bad filler, but, still, I found myself wishing more than once that something would happen. Not necessarily a space battle (although Bujold is great at those), but something just a little more substantial than what we got. I don't mind a nice, gentle story, but this one was perhaps a little too relentlessly gentle to be fully satisfying.
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LibraryThing member readinggeek451
A lot lower-key than most of the Vorkosigan series, but very, very good.
LibraryThing member JalenV
I was thrilled to find the audio edition of Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen on the shelves at my local library. Aside from Mark Vorkosigan's small (if vital to his mother) role, this Vorkosigan Saga entry did not disappoint.
Cordelia's Honor was my introduction to the series. Much as I enjoy her
The scenes with Miles and family were great! The political-military trials Cordelia and Oliver must deal with reminded me how grateful I am that I've never been in command.
The comparison to Jane Austen rather than Georgette Heyer on the back of the case didn't bother me. My 1960s Heyer paperbacks often compared her works to those of Miss Austen on their covers. Both ladies were renowned for their delicious depiction of society, but the more exciting events in this book would be out of place in an Austen novel. Not so those of Ms. Heyer. I did enjoy the modification of the famous opening line to Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice, though.
Notes:
a. 'Aunt Aurelia' is a formidable character in Georgette Heyer's The Unknown Ajax, the climax of which Ms. Bujold did such a lovely homage to in A Civil Campaign.
b. As for the general's daughter's name, another of my favorite Heyer Regency Romances is Frederica.
c. The Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts mentioned appear in Lewis Carroll's [Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, respectively.
Cordelia's Honor was my introduction to the series. Much as I enjoy her
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son Miles' adventures, I've been wanting more of Cordelia herself. Loved the insights into her marriage and the relationship with Admiral Oliver Jole, her former co-spouse. (Also enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes parody in one of his nicknames.)The scenes with Miles and family were great! The political-military trials Cordelia and Oliver must deal with reminded me how grateful I am that I've never been in command.
The comparison to Jane Austen rather than Georgette Heyer on the back of the case didn't bother me. My 1960s Heyer paperbacks often compared her works to those of Miss Austen on their covers. Both ladies were renowned for their delicious depiction of society, but the more exciting events in this book would be out of place in an Austen novel. Not so those of Ms. Heyer. I did enjoy the modification of the famous opening line to Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice, though.
Notes:
a. 'Aunt Aurelia' is a formidable character in Georgette Heyer's The Unknown Ajax, the climax of which Ms. Bujold did such a lovely homage to in A Civil Campaign.
b. As for the general's daughter's name, another of my favorite Heyer Regency Romances is Frederica.
c. The Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts mentioned appear in Lewis Carroll's [Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, respectively.
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LibraryThing member cissa
I loved this book!
I agree that it had a lot less "action" than most of the Vorkosigan novels have had; this more intimate.
I really loved spending time with Cordelia, who has quite a life! and now that aspect is over, and she's re-grouping and making choices. As a middle-aged woman myself, this was
Anyway- I really loved the intimate scale, and the way Cordelia and Jole navigate their relationship. I also loved the cultural conflicts arising on a colony planet, with various people of diverse origins and priorities.
If you're mostly into the space opera, you will likely be disappointed. If you are a fan of the whole series, though, this is a different but pleasing addition.
I agree that it had a lot less "action" than most of the Vorkosigan novels have had; this more intimate.
I really loved spending time with Cordelia, who has quite a life! and now that aspect is over, and she's re-grouping and making choices. As a middle-aged woman myself, this was
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meaningful: now that I've done what my initial plans were, what next for me? Especially as there is time... but it's counting down, and also seems to be speeding up as it passes.Anyway- I really loved the intimate scale, and the way Cordelia and Jole navigate their relationship. I also loved the cultural conflicts arising on a colony planet, with various people of diverse origins and priorities.
If you're mostly into the space opera, you will likely be disappointed. If you are a fan of the whole series, though, this is a different but pleasing addition.
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LibraryThing member hailelib
A lovely addition to the Vorkosigan universe, both a romance and a story about reinventing oneself. Cordelia is still getting over Aral's death but she has reached a point where she is ready to live again and is making plans for a new and different life. Admiral Jole has also reached a point in his
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career and his life where he needs to decide what next. So, no space opera, spies, and little in the way of political upheavals but still a great story. Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
This was an absolute goddamn delight, and if we never get another Vorkosigan book, I would be happy with this as the resolution. (Which is not to say I don't want to know what the next generation is getting up to. But.)
LibraryThing member sleahey
This is a fun continuation of the story of Cordelia Vorkosigan, Miles's mother and Aral's widow, three years after his death. We see the budding romance between her and Aral's right hand man, Gentleman Jole, and in the process we learn much more about past relationships. Otherwise, there's not a
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whole lot of plot, other than the relocation of a city and the headaches of trying to make that happen. This has none of the military action of some of the series earlier books, and probably wouldn't stand alone well. But for Vorkosigan fans, this book is a welcome delight. Show Less
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Widowed, Cordelia is Vice-Renn of the planet Sergyar, and decides that it is time to a new stage in her life. Her old friend, Admiral Oliver Jole, finds himself surprisingly affected by and involved in her plans, taking him in directions he never thought to go.
LibraryThing member JohnFair
In thsi latest installement of the Vorkosiganverse, it's three years after the death of Aral Vorkosigan, Viceroy of Sergyar. His widow, Cordelia, has, sort of, beocme accustomed to his abscense. As Vicereign of Sergyar in her own right, Cordellia has enough going on but one of her and Aral's
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legacies causes excitement in the high reaches of the Barrayaran government. As with many of Bujold's stories a minor charactere from an earlier story re-apperas in a more central role - this time Admiral Jole who had been Aral's aide-de-camp (see The Vor Game), among other things, in an earlier life is now commander of Sergyar's military forces and in another departure from other books in the leter part of the series focuses on Cordselia and Jole with Miles only making a limited appearance though it's nice to see him as a harrassed father rather than competent investigator. Show Less
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
I really enjoyed this. It reminded me of A Civil Campaign which I also really enjoyed. I enjoyed the way that Bujold 'retconned' Cordelia and Vorkosigan's relationship. It all made perfect sense to me and all of the events from the previous books slotted together seamlessly. I just couldn't put
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this down. Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
I really enjoyed this. It's a romance though and a quiet one at that. But Bujold could write a bus ticket and be readable and if like me you've read all the Vorkosigan saga, then this is a glimpse into the future as all the characters get older. Miles has teenage children! If you love this series,
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then it's a very satisfying conclusion (probably). Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016-02-02
Physical description
352 p.; 9.25 inches
ISBN
9781476781228